Using a Low-Cost Simulation Approach for Assessing the Impact of a Medication Administration System on Workflow

This paper describes the analysis of the impact of a medication administration system on clinical workflow. The methodological framework employed was based on in-depth analysis of simulated user interactions with a medication administration system. The approach involved the collection of rich data consisting of audio and video recordings of interactions between 16 subjects (5 nurses and 11 physicians) as they interacted with a medication administration system. Methodological considerations and issues in conducting such studies are discussed. The study indicated that use of the system would have a significant impact on nurse and physician workflow and that this impact could be accurately identified using simulation approaches prior to widespread release of such systems in real clinical environments.